Australian-owned Orica-GreenEDGE's Impey and Simon Gerrans had spent four days in the maillot jaune after excellent team-work kept the big guns at bay.

But, as expected, the 195km stage from Castres caused a significant reshuffle.

Evans had suspected before the stage the race could be decided on the slopes of Ax-3-Domaines.

He was right - but, unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.

Christophe Riblon leads the breakaway group containing Jean Marc Marino and Johnny Hoogerland on stage eight of the Tour de France.Source: AFP

"My worst day of the Tour while I'm healthy, nowhere in the mix and a few little problems," Evans said after grinding to the summit.

"Anyway, I wasn't at my best and certainly didn't expect to be this far off the best.

"Sky, they just rode a tempo that was just really consistent from when they started on the Pailhieres to when they hit the bottom of Domaines.

"They rode a really consistent pace and not many people could match it.

"On Pailhieres, I was already having a bit of a hard time and that put me a bit on my limit which, of course, is cause for concern.

"But Domaines isn't quite as high so normally...when you're in the running for GC, 7k (to go) on a climb is not one you would normally get dropped on.

"On the last climb I had a few physical problems come into the mix there and I couldn't push myself to my maximum at that point.

"When you have 20 guys riding away from you, you know you're a long way off the pace."

From the moment the starter's flag dropped in Castre, the race exploded.

Bidding to emulate 2010 victory to the Pyrenean ski resort, Christophe Riblon (ALM) combined with Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Jean-Marc Marino (Sojasun) and Rudy Molard (Cofidis) to build an 8min lead before tackling the short climb to Coete de Saint-Ferreol.

Averaging 44km for the first hour, the quartet held a maximum gap of 9min,50sec before Orica-GreenEDGE and Sky joined forces after 60km to cut the deficit.

Passengers and crew fled the plane with just seconds to spare as smoke rose from the wreckage.

The two victims were found outside the plane, according to San Francisco fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. "My understanding is that they were found on the runway," she said.

The Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 seen on the runway at San Francisco International Airport after crash landing. Picutre: AFP

The airport was closed immediately after the crash, but two runways later reopened. Some flights were diverted to Los Angeles.

Among those on board were 77 Koreans, 141 Chinese, 61 US citizens, and one Japanese national, Asiana said in a statement.

In Seoul, Asiana Airlines CEO Yoon Young-Doo said that there was nothing wrong with the airplane.

A fire truck sprays water on Asiana Flight 214 after it crashed at San Francisco International Airport. Picture: AP Photo/Noah Berger

"We purchased this airplane in March 2006... currently we understand that there are no engine or mechanical problems,'' he said at a press conference, adding that the two people killed were Chinese nationals.

San Francisco General Hospital said it was treating 34 patients, five of them in critical condition. Other patients had been taken to different hospitals in the area.

In total, 123 people aboard the flight were uninjured, US officials said.

An eyewitness photo captures the evacuation of passengers from the Asiana flight. Picture: David Eun/Twitter

Survivor Elliott Stone told CNN that as it came in to land, it appeared the plane "sped up, like the pilot knew he was short.''

"And then the back end just hit, and flies up in the air, and everybody's head goes up to the ceiling. And then it just kind of drifts for a little bit, for a good 300 yards and then tips over. Fire starts," he explained.

He said he was able to evacuate safely, sitting in the middle of the plane, but the flight attendants sitting in the back "got hammered - because we landed short.

"And then they all fell out - and it was just the most terrible thing I've seen," Stone said.

He said around 20 minutes after the crash, he and fellow passengers noticed "another five bodies like 457 metres away that nobody saw," adding they alerted emergency workers, but were frustrated at the response.

"We were yelling at people, yelling at firefighters. Get over here. They were just lagging hard. I don't know."

The tail of Asiana Flight 214 is seen, right, after it crashed at San Francisco International Airport. Picture: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Flight 214 crashed while landing on runway 28 left at the airport at 11:26am local time, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said. She said the sequence of events was still unclear, but it appeared the Boeing 777 landed and then crashed.

LUCKY FEW WALKED AWAY UNHARMED

One passenger on Flight 214 posted a photograph of the plane on social media seconds after it landed, showing the emergency chutes deployed and passengers running away.

"I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm OK. Surreal ...'' said passenger David Eun, in a posting to the Path social network.

Eun described the immediate aftermath, posting on the Path social media site, "Fire and rescue people all over the place. They're evacuating the injured. Haven't felt this way since 9/11. Trying to help people stay calm. Deep breaths..."

But he soon after posted a more reassuring message, saying "Lots of activity here. Friends, pls don't call right now. I'm fine. Most people are totally calm and trying to let the fire and rescue do their jobs. Just like during 9/11, most people are great and try to be helpful in crisis..."

Another survivor had an even more positive message, telling the Los Angeles Times "I just want their families to know, most of the people seem OK and we're just letting the paramedics do their job."

PLANE 'BELLYFLOPPED' ON RUNWAY

Multiple witnesses said the plane had approached the runway at an awkward angle, with some onlookers saying they heard a loud bang. Local TV station KTVU quoted witnesses as saying that the plane's tail appeared to sheer off as it was coming in to land.

"We saw it hit, the tail broke off almost immediately upon hitting what appeared to be the end of the runway. It kind of did a bellyflop landing," Jennifer Sorgen told CNN.

"There wasn't a huge explosion of fire, but this was definitely fire, lots of smoke."

An airplane mechanic who witnessed the crash from the airfield also saw the smoke.

"It landed straight, then went to the side and then all you saw was smoke coming off it," Adrian John Mirabueno told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I was scared for the families, and to tell the truth I've never seen anything like it."

Another onlooker said he did not see any fire before the plane hit the runway.

"You heard a pop and you immediately saw a large, brief fireball that came from underneath the aircraft," Anthony Castorani, who saw the flight land from a nearby hotel, told CNN. "It began to cartwheel."

Others clarified the plane went into a flat spin around on the ground, as opposed to flipping over.

Helicopter footage showed a trail of debris and blackened pavement starting from the seawall at the very edge of the runway to where the plane finally came to rest in the dirt between the runway and a taxiway.

A video clip posted to YouTube shows smoke coming from a silver-coloured jet on the tarmac. Passengers could be seen jumping down the inflatable emergency slides. Television footage showed debris strewn about the tarmac and pieces of the plane lying on the runway.

Fire trucks sprayed a white fire retardant on the wreckage. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators to San Francisco to probe the crash. NTSB spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said that NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman would head the team.

An FBI agent said there was no sign the crash was the result of a terror attack.

"At this point in time there is no indication of terrorism involved," said FBI special agent David Johnson.

Asiana is a South Korean airline, second in size to national carrier Korean Air. It has recently tried to expand its presence in the United States, and joined the Star Alliance, anchored by American Airlines and British Airways.

The 777-200 is a long-range plane from Boeing. The twin-engine aircraft is one of the world's most popular long-distance planes, often used for flights of 12 hours or more, from one continent to another. The airline's website says its 777s can carry between 246 to 300 passengers.

The last time a large US airline lost a plane in a fatal crash was an American Airlines Airbus A300 taking off from JFK in 2001.

Smaller airlines have had crashes since then. The last fatal US crash was a Continental Express flight operated by Colgan Air, which crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York on February 12, 2009.

The crash killed all 49 people on board and one man in a house.

Flights are reportedly being prepared to resume at San Francisco International Airport.

Images have emerged which appear to show celebrity chef Nigella Lawson's throat being squeezed by husband Charles Saatchi in public.

ART collector Charles Saatchi has told a British Sunday newspaper that he is divorcing his wife, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, following an incident in which he grabbed her by the neck outside a London restaurant.

Under the headline "I'm divorcing you Nigella", 70-year-old Saatchi said in a statement to the Mail on Sunday that he had made a "heartbreaking" decision to separate from his 53-year-old wife because she had not defended him over the row.

Charles Saatchi tells Nigella Lawson it's over and they are getting a divorce weeks after controversial images were published which showed him grabbing his wife's neck at a restaurant. Picture: Jean-Paul/JG

EMPLOYEE MONEY SPAT

The publicity-shy former advertising executive, who owns London's Saatchi Gallery for contemporary art,accepted a police caution last month after pictures of the incident appeared in another tabloid, the Sunday People.

"I am sorry to announce that Nigella Lawson and I are getting divorced," he said in the statement which was splashed over the front page of the newspaper.

"This is heartbreaking for both of us as our love was very deep, but in the last year we have become estranged and drifted apart," he wrote.

NIGELLA BREAKS HER SILENCE

"I feel that I have clearly been a disappointment to Nigella during the last year or so, and I am disappointed that she was advised to make no public comment to explain that I abhor violence of any kind against women, and have never abused her physically in any way."

Saatchi insisted that his actions had not been "violent" and claimed that Lawson, to whom he has been married for 10 years, had grasped his neck in the past because they were both "tactile" people.

There was no immediate comment from Lawson.

The daughter of former Conservative finance minister Nigel Lawson, she is a multi-millionaire cookery writer and TV presenter.

Dubbed 'the domestic goddess', she is famed for her flirtatious approach to cooking.

She married Saatchi in 2003, and has two children from her marriage to journalist John Diamond, who died of throat cancer in 2001. Saatchi has one daughter from his previous marriage.

Jonny Sexton jumps for joy after scoring a try for the British & Irish Lions at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Philip HillyardSource: The Daily Telegraph

James O'Connor chareges through to score a try for the Wallabies against the British & Irish Lions at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Gregg PorteousSource: The Daily Telegraph

Leigh Halfpenny kicks a penalty for the British & Irish Lions during the third Test at ANZ Stadium.Source: Getty Images

A DEFLATED Robbie Deans conceded his future is out of his hands despite being contracted as Wallabies coach to the end of the year, following the humiliating 41-16 loss to the Lions.

Deans has now presided over Lions series, World Cup and Bledisloe Cup failure in his six-year tenure, with speculation mounting that either Ewen McKenzie or Jake White could take over within days.

Asked if he expected to remain in the job for next month's Rugby Championship, Deans solemnly replied: "You don't presume anything in this industry, those decisions are made by others, who knows?

"I'm not excited, obviously, by what we've been through.

"But that doesn't change the possibilities and potential of the group."

Emotional captain James Horwill batted away questions about Deans' future following the ANZ Stadium massacre in front of 83,702 fans.

"Robbie is the coach, he is contracted, he is a great coach," Horwill said.

"Now is not the time to talk about it. We will review everything at the end, after this.

MATCH CENTRE: Wallabies v British and Irish Lions

"Five minutes after a Test match is not the time to talk about the coaching position."

The Wallabies revealed they spent the week talking about starting strongly, yet dropped the ball from the first kick-off, conceded a first-minute try and never recovered.

Asked if he remained confident the playing group could respond to his requests, Deans said: "No one goes out there to drop the first kick-off."

GALLERY: Wallabies v Lions in pictures

The four-tries-to-one hammering by a raging Lions side exposed the Wallabies' scrum and backline defence.

The Lions smashed their own record for most points in a Test match.

In losing the Tom Richards Cup, Australia also ensured they have only beaten the Lions once in their 125-year history, 12 years ago.

Three points had separated them in the first two Tests but there was daylight between the sides Saturday night.

Australia's scrum was bullied and bashed, and the worst fears leading into the series were finally realised, after both packs had shared honours in the first two games.

The powerhouse Lions scrum and counter-attacking masterclass from Lions fullback Leigh Halfpenny, who set up two tries and kicked eight goals from nine attempts, left the Wallabies helpless.

From trailing 19-3 in the 40th minute, the Wallabies had clawed back to 19-16 by the 46th, with James O'Connor scoring a try after the half-time siren and Christian Leali'ifano kicking two penalties in the first five minutes of the second half.

But by the 69th the Lions had run away with the game, with tries from Jonathan Sexton, George North and Jamie Roberts rewarding their forwards' dominance and stamping authority on the result.

The three-try hit took the score to 41-16, and under-fire Lions coach Warren Gatland was celebrating in the coaches' box while Deans remained ashen-faced.

After Australia had cut the Lions' lead to three, Gatland's team suddenly looked vulnerable for the first time.

But soon afterward the Wallabies gave away yet another scrum penalty after unwillingly being moonwalked five metres by the rampant Lions pack.

Halfpenny struck the three points, and then Sexton scored a brilliantly worked try from a wide spread.

The ball went from Sexton to Jonathan Davies and Halfpenny, whose inside pass was collected and planted under the posts by the highest-paid player in the world.

The Wallabies were soon attacking at the other end of the field, and earned a penalty from close range but instead took a quick tap, a gamble that misfired when prop Benn Robinson knocked on.

Moments later, Halfpenny stepped around Will Genia on the counter, lured fullback Jesse Mogg and sent North to the corner.

Returning centre Roberts powered through a yawning hole in the 69th minute and with Halfpenny's conversion the Lions had cracked 40 points.

The Lions led 19-10 at the break in a disastrous opening half that saw the Wallabies scrummaged off the park.

Had it not been for James O'Connor's bloody-minded determination to score a try beating four defenders after the half-time siren, the result would have been sealed by the break.

Key weapon Israel Folau suffered a serious hamstring injury and was taken off in the 27th minute, two minutes after prop Ben Alexander was sin-binned for repeated scrum infringements.

The Lions roared furiously into the decider, scoring in the opening minute after Will Genia had knocked on from the kick-off.

Prop Alex Corbisero took a short ball from halfback Mike Phillips, beat the tackle of rival Benn Robinson and rolled over the line to score his maiden Test try.

The criticised getaway to Noosa early this week was just what the doctor ordered, with the tourists smashing the Wallabies at the contest, breakdown and scrum.

Bishan Rajapakse in St Vincents Hospital after he was knocked unconscious by a whale while surfing at South Bondi Beach, Sydney. Picture: Gregg PorteousSource: The Daily Telegraph

TALK about a sting in the tail. Surfer Bishan Rajapakse was lucky to be pulled from the waves with only a headache and sore shoulder after he was knocked unconscious by a southern right whale yesterday.

The 38-year-old hospital emergency unit doctor was heading back to the beach at Bondi about 10.30am when he saw "a big, black shadow" as the whale surfaced near him.

"Some other surfers were quite close to it and I remember wondering to myself about that tail - I thought 'Wow, this could just go and knock us all out'," he said.

The next thing Dr Rajapakse remembers is lifeguards treating him on the sand. Lifeguard Anthony "Harries" Carroll said: "The whale has lifted his tail and it's come down and struck the (surfer) on the head and knocked him out."

Mr Carroll said the force of the impact had punched a "large-sized ding" in Dr Rajapakse's surfboard.

"This could have been a major incident, a fatality, so for this guy to walk away with minimal injuries ... he's probably the luckiest emergency doctor to end up in emergency," he said.

Surfer Tony Spanos said the whale had made a "huge turn" and come out of the water directly underneath a group of surfers, knocking him off his board. He saw Dr Rajapakse get knocked out.

"I had to go under and quickly pull him out from underneath, from going down," he said.

A whale surfaces near surfers at Bondi Beach. Picture: John BrawleySource: Supplied

St Vincent's head of emergency Gordian Fulde said Dr Rajapakse - who works at Wollongong Hospital - was fortunate not to have any broken bones but he remains in hospital for observation to see if he had suffered any underlying damage from the "unbelievable accident".

National Parks and Wildlife whale expert Geoff Ross said southern right whales were known for liking shallower water - and for their unpredictable behaviour.

"Whales are generally not aggressive animals but they will defend themselves - they can see people in the water as a potential predator," he said. "Like all wild animals, you need to respect them and their position in the ocean."

Swimmers and surfers are banned from going closer than 30m from whales in NSW waters.

Girlfriend Sanna Lundmark had been waiting on the beach when she saw people huddled around Dr Rajapakse. "I saw his feet and they didn't move. I was really worried ... then I saw him talking," she said.

Dr Rajapakse said the incident would not put him off surfing. "I think if I saw a whale again I'd probably tell other people just to hold back. I guess I've got the evidence to say things can go wrong."

Passengers and crew fled the plane with just seconds to spare as smoke rose from the wreckage.

The two victims were found outside the plane, according to San Francisco fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. "My understanding is that they were found on the runway," she said.

The Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 seen on the runway at San Francisco International Airport after crash landing. Picutre: AFP

The airport was closed immediately after the crash, but two runways later reopened. Some flights were diverted to Los Angeles.

Among those on board were 77 Koreans, 141 Chinese, 61 US citizens, and one Japanese national, Asiana said in a statement.

In Seoul, Asiana Airlines CEO Yoon Young-Doo said that there was nothing wrong with the airplane.

A fire truck sprays water on Asiana Flight 214 after it crashed at San Francisco International Airport. Picture: AP Photo/Noah Berger

"We purchased this airplane in March 2006... currently we understand that there are no engine or mechanical problems,'' he said at a press conference, adding that the two people killed were Chinese nationals.

San Francisco General Hospital said it was treating 34 patients, five of them in critical condition. Other patients had been taken to different hospitals in the area.

In total, 123 people aboard the flight were uninjured, US officials said.

An eyewitness photo captures the evacuation of passengers from the Asiana flight. Picture: David Eun/Twitter

Survivor Elliott Stone told CNN that as it came in to land, it appeared the plane "sped up, like the pilot knew he was short.''

"And then the back end just hit, and flies up in the air, and everybody's head goes up to the ceiling. And then it just kind of drifts for a little bit, for a good 300 yards and then tips over. Fire starts," he explained.

He said he was able to evacuate safely, sitting in the middle of the plane, but the flight attendants sitting in the back "got hammered - because we landed short.

"And then they all fell out - and it was just the most terrible thing I've seen," Stone said.

He said around 20 minutes after the crash, he and fellow passengers noticed "another five bodies like 457 metres away that nobody saw," adding they alerted emergency workers, but were frustrated at the response.

"We were yelling at people, yelling at firefighters. Get over here. They were just lagging hard. I don't know."

The tail of Asiana Flight 214 is seen, right, after it crashed at San Francisco International Airport. Picture: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Flight 214 crashed while landing on runway 28 left at the airport at 11:26am local time, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said. She said the sequence of events was still unclear, but it appeared the Boeing 777 landed and then crashed.

LUCKY FEW WALKED AWAY UNHARMED

One passenger on Flight 214 posted a photograph of the plane on social media seconds after it landed, showing the emergency chutes deployed and passengers running away.

"I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm OK. Surreal ...'' said passenger David Eun, in a posting to the Path social network.

Eun described the immediate aftermath, posting on the Path social media site, "Fire and rescue people all over the place. They're evacuating the injured. Haven't felt this way since 9/11. Trying to help people stay calm. Deep breaths..."

But he soon after posted a more reassuring message, saying "Lots of activity here. Friends, pls don't call right now. I'm fine. Most people are totally calm and trying to let the fire and rescue do their jobs. Just like during 9/11, most people are great and try to be helpful in crisis..."

Another survivor had an even more positive message, telling the Los Angeles Times "I just want their families to know, most of the people seem OK and we're just letting the paramedics do their job."

PLANE 'BELLYFLOPPED' ON RUNWAY

Multiple witnesses said the plane had approached the runway at an awkward angle, with some onlookers saying they heard a loud bang. Local TV station KTVU quoted witnesses as saying that the plane's tail appeared to sheer off as it was coming in to land.

"We saw it hit, the tail broke off almost immediately upon hitting what appeared to be the end of the runway. It kind of did a bellyflop landing," Jennifer Sorgen told CNN.

"There wasn't a huge explosion of fire, but this was definitely fire, lots of smoke."

An airplane mechanic who witnessed the crash from the airfield also saw the smoke.

"It landed straight, then went to the side and then all you saw was smoke coming off it," Adrian John Mirabueno told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I was scared for the families, and to tell the truth I've never seen anything like it."

Another onlooker said he did not see any fire before the plane hit the runway.

"You heard a pop and you immediately saw a large, brief fireball that came from underneath the aircraft," Anthony Castorani, who saw the flight land from a nearby hotel, told CNN. "It began to cartwheel."

Others clarified the plane went into a flat spin around on the ground, as opposed to flipping over.

Helicopter footage showed a trail of debris and blackened pavement starting from the seawall at the very edge of the runway to where the plane finally came to rest in the dirt between the runway and a taxiway.

A video clip posted to YouTube shows smoke coming from a silver-coloured jet on the tarmac. Passengers could be seen jumping down the inflatable emergency slides. Television footage showed debris strewn about the tarmac and pieces of the plane lying on the runway.

Fire trucks sprayed a white fire retardant on the wreckage. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators to San Francisco to probe the crash. NTSB spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said that NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman would head the team.

An FBI agent said there was no sign the crash was the result of a terror attack.

"At this point in time there is no indication of terrorism involved," said FBI special agent David Johnson.

Asiana is a South Korean airline, second in size to national carrier Korean Air. It has recently tried to expand its presence in the United States, and joined the Star Alliance, anchored by American Airlines and British Airways.

The 777-200 is a long-range plane from Boeing. The twin-engine aircraft is one of the world's most popular long-distance planes, often used for flights of 12 hours or more, from one continent to another. The airline's website says its 777s can carry between 246 to 300 passengers.

The last time a large US airline lost a plane in a fatal crash was an American Airlines Airbus A300 taking off from JFK in 2001.

Smaller airlines have had crashes since then. The last fatal US crash was a Continental Express flight operated by Colgan Air, which crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York on February 12, 2009.

The crash killed all 49 people on board and one man in a house.

Flights are reportedly being prepared to resume at San Francisco International Airport.